How to rescue a Paladin from Dryads?

[Avista]

Our D&D party has been tasked with retrieving an NPC paladin, member of the Order who has been "kidnapped" by dryads. He's hopelessly charmed by them and probably doesn't want to return of his own will. Hard to say, since the dryads are not letting anyone see him, nor are they willing to release him.

Spoiler: A condensed summary how the NPC got into the mess:

Show

The city sent out a scouting party into a distant forest from an outpost, led by said paladin. Upon coming across a very evil and very hungry monster, the paladin does the noble thing and stand his ground, giving everyone else time to make a getaway. He escapes the creature, but is knocking on death's door when the dryads find him. Calling in some powerful fey magic they heal him back to fighting fit and claim him as their mate.

So now our party has to come up with a way to get the paladin back, and we're coming short on ideas. The dryads here operate on 'fey logic' which means they speak in riddles and a trade could be a memory, a dream, or a name. The paladin is a great catch for the dryads, being a capable, honorable fighter and held in high esteem back home. But by their rules since they saved his life, he belongs to them now.

The options we have discussed:

1. Ask the dryads 'nicely' or else we burn down their forest. (That's gonna have consequences)
2. Polymorph him into something hideous so the dryads kick him out. (Best option so far)
3. Find a willing volunteer to take his place. A tall order, since they'd have to be 'equal' to the paladin - highly esteemed, honorable, and worthy to be a dryad's mate. Run-of-the-mill average Joe will not do.

I'm looking for more ideas to bring to the table. What kind of clever ploy would you do? We're not on a time crunch, but the longer he stays with the dryads and under their charm, the longer the paladin will be in the feywild, which could change him physically and mentally. We do want to get him back before he runs the risk of breaking his vow.

[Silly Name]

Threatening to burn down a dryad forest is a big no-no, because you'll anger far more than just the dryads. Might as well insult their mothers and spit on the graves of their ancestors at that point (do dryads have graves? Gravetrees?).

But, if those dryads are operating like fey, you may have some decent luck with a trade: they may be convinced you can offer them something better than a mortal plaything, such as a powerful spell scroll or an ancient secret.

You could challenge them to some contest (riddle contest is always a favorite), hoping to win the Paladin's freedom. You could try to research and call upon some ancient Pact that binds the fey as much as the mortals, of which one clause may benefit your objective. You could try to appeal to their good nature, and point out the Paladin has loved ones back at home and that he has a great destiny, which will never be fulfilled if he spends the rest of his days in captivity.

Is this Paladin's Order tied to a deity? Maybe invoking divine wrath for having a champion stolen could make the dryads more likely to consider setting him free.

[dancrilis]

You could offer them a favour if they let the Paladin go - also you could point out that by letting the paladin go he would presumedly go onto do greater feats and so appreciate in value so if they deserve him he might return of his own will later.
So they a) get a favour - within reason - from your party and b) have the chance of a far greater prize down the line (likely subject to how they treated him).

That far greater prize is likely the better angle with the favour being merely how they hedge the bet.

[NRSASD]

How long do you need the NPC paladin? Because if it’s for a short while, you could promise he’ll return once you no longer need him, and that he’ll bring a friend or two. For a limited duration of course. “Let him go now, and in two years’ time he’ll return with two more, sworn to your service for two years.”

Odds are anyone of comparable value to a paladin is just as important, so putting a time limit on the service is critical.

Winning a game or challenge for his freedom is also a good tactic, but to get their interest you’ll have to stake something valuable (like yourselves), which is risky. Doing a quest for them is probably the safest bet.

Attacking or threatening the dryad is best avoided, cause she will almost certainly have friends. Very scary friends. Likewise, kidnapping the paladin is highly unlikely to succeed, because he’ll be close to her and she has staggeringly good perception of her area.

[Psyren]

From your "magical flask" thread, you're playing 5e right?

The Dryad's Fey Charm ability is magic, so it can be dispelled. As soon as you do, tell the paladin to close their eyes so the charm cannot be reapplied, and lead him out of the forest. If the dryads attack you can defend yourselves, but otherwise this should be pretty bloodless.

Another alternative is to charm him yourself. I'm not sure how 5e handles competing charms though.

[Cazero]

You could start by pointing out the obvious.
If the paladin is staying of his own volition, he's dishonorably shirking his duties and unworthy of them. If he's not, he's weak and unworthy of them.

Unless all they want is a glorified sextoy, in wich case there's plenty of better options than sticking to just the one dude.

[JFKsbatmobile]

Well...

1.Kidnap a dryad and then offer a prisoner exchange.

2.Kill the paladin...or make it look like he is dead/in a coma or put him to sleep or such. Then take the "body" back to be buried with his own people....and bring them back to life.

3.You don't need to burn down the whole forest....just the dryad trees :)

4.Distract the dryads with something else big, so they forget about the guy...then grab him.

5.Have a party! Perform a Midsummer's night dream in the woods. Invite the dryads. Work a magic show in...and get the paladin to volunteer to be part of the show. Have a big Cabinet of Mystery, and get the paladin inside it...and 'poof' he is gone like magic. Leave behind a double or illusion and run with the guy.

[Clistenes]

If you have access to Polymorph already you probably can spy on the Paladin somehow, be it sending a Familiar, using a spell like Scrying, shapechanging into an owl or similar...etc.

You can check if he is staying with the Dryads willingly. If he restrained against his will, you can launch a rescue operation...Polymorph him into something ugly, Teleport him out or something...

If he is staying with the Dryads on his own will, then you can try casting Magic Circle Against Evil on him, which would block mind control long enough for him to fight his way out...

If casting Magic Circle Against Evil doesn't work, that means he is really staying on his own will and not because of some magic compulsion, so he is a renegade and could be written off as lost... he is no longer a Paladin...

[Silly Name]

If casting Magic Circle Against Evil doesn't work, that means he is really staying on his own will and not because of some magic compulsion, so he is a renegade and could be written off as lost... he is no longer a Paladin...

Orrrr the dryads aren't Evil.

[Cazero]

Orrrr the dryads aren't Evil.

How would that be relevant to the Paladin ditching his oath for a booty call?

[Silly Name]

How would that be relevant to the Paladin ditching his oath for a booty call?

Because Magic Circle against Evil shields one from domination by Evil creatures.

[Clistenes]

Because Magic Circle against Evil shields one from domination by Evil creatures.

What edition are we speaking about? In most editions Protection from Evil and Magic Circle against Evil suppresses mind control and compulsions regardless of alignment. In 3.5 edition they even mention it explicitly "This second effect works regardless of alignment..."

[Avista]

Dryads aren't evil here; they just operate under fey logic. They don't see anything ambiguously wrong with charming someone to stick around. They rescued him! Nursed him back to health! He fell in love with all of them! He's even a bachelor, so no strings attached! What twisted logic do the PCs operate on to think that's a bad thing? We're obviously the bad guys, snatching him away from his happy place to return to a life of holy rigorous order behind city walls. That's the real prison right there.

That aside, by interpreting the paladin's oath, he would like to be rescued. He can't perform his duties while under the dryad's spell. He made a commitment to his god first and foremost.

[Clistenes]

Dryads aren't evil here; they just operate under fey logic. They don't see anything ambiguously wrong with charming someone to stick around. They rescued him! Nursed him back to health! He fell in love with all of them! He's even a bachelor, so no strings attached! What twisted logic do the PCs operate on to think that's a bad thing? We're obviously the bad guys, snatching him away from his happy place to return to a life of holy rigorous order.

That aside, by interpreting the paladin's oath, he would like to be rescued. He can't perform his duties while under the dryad's spell. He made a commitment to his god first and foremost.

If it is 3.5 edition, Magic Circle against Evil will supress Charm regardless of the Dryads' alignment.

If it is 5e, you can just try to use Dispel...

[Avista]

If it is 3.5 edition, Magic Circle against Evil will supress Charm regardless of the Dryads' alignment.

If it is 5e, you can just try to use Dispel...

While that can work, we still need to get to the paladin in the middle of a dryad's forest. They are being very protective.

Forcibly extracting him is an option though.

[Aliess]

- Every year the paladin will return to the forest and tell the dryads the stories of all the great deeds they have accomplished that year. At least until the stories become boring and the dryads discard the paladin and move on to something more interesting.
- The PC's offer to go on a great quest for the dryads in order to win the freedom of the paladin.
- One of the PC's, decked out in all the group's magic items and sporting a dramatic scar, bursts in on the dryads claiming to be the paladin's one true love, here to rescue then. Surely the fey dryads know better than to stand on the way of true love?

[Composer99]

Because Magic Circle against Evil shields one from domination by Evil creatures.

Based on context (another thread by the same poster), this is a 5e game, so in fact it's just magic circle, and works against fey creatures just as well.

[Clistenes]

While that can work, we still need to get to the paladin in the middle of a dryad's forest. They are being very protective.

Forcibly extracting him is an option though.

As I said, you have several options: To use a Wizard's or Sorcerer's or Warlock's Familiar to sneak and spy on the Dryads and Paladin; to use a shapeshifted Druid or a Polymorphed Wizard; to use a Scrying and Teleport spells...

It should be easy for a bird or some other critter to move freely and find the Paladin; once that is done, you can plan for the next step. If the Paladin is Charmed and is moving freely around the forest, all you need is to plan an ambush, cast a spell to break the mind control and let him try to break through... with a bit of luck he will call his mount and outrun the Dryads on his own... If not, you can Teleport him away...

Another option would be to use Polymorph on a member of the party to fake a threat or to use a Summon or an Undead to bait the Dryads into sending the Paladin to beat it for them... a party member polymorphed into an incorporeal Undead would be immune to the Dryad's power, requiring them to send their pet to deal with the menace...

Based on context (another thread by the same poster), this is a 5e game, so in fact it's just magic circle, and works against fey creatures just as well.

I think that spell doesn't suppress already active mind control/compulsions, does it?

Also it is static, so it wouldn't be as useful to help the Paladin escape...

[Composer99]

Based on context (another thread by the same poster), this is a 5e game, so in fact it's just magic circle, and works against fey creatures just as well.

I think that spell doesn't suppress already active mind control/compulsions, does it?

Also it is static, so it wouldn't be as useful to help the Paladin escape...

Re: the first part, I'm not entirely sure... the text is "Targets within the cylinder can't be charmed, frightened, or possessed by the creature"... which seems like you could go either way?

Re: the second part, I agree. But I was mostly pointing out that the fact that the dryads aren't evil is neither here nor there with respect to the spell's effects.

[Psyren]

Dryads aren't evil here; they just operate under fey logic. They don't see anything ambiguously wrong with charming someone to stick around. They rescued him! Nursed him back to health! He fell in love with all of them! He's even a bachelor, so no strings attached! What twisted logic do the PCs operate on to think that's a bad thing? We're obviously the bad guys, snatching him away from his happy place to return to a life of holy rigorous order behind city walls. That's the real prison right there.

That aside, by interpreting the paladin's oath, he would like to be rescued. He can't perform his duties while under the dryad's spell. He made a commitment to his god first and foremost.

Sounds like your GM has some kind of plot hook in mind then. Find out what the dryads want and go do it.

[comicshorse]

Tell the Dryads he can't stay because " its too perilous "

[Gavinfoxx]

Tell the Dryads he can't stay because " its too perilous "

Why did I have to get so far down this thread to get to this reply? I swear, no one respects the classics!

[Thayborne]

Why would a Dryad capture a Paladin? I vote for plan 2. You are too nice. I would might tried to stone the Dryad and rescued the Paladin? After a few Contingency spells I would have unstoned the Dryad. The Dryads actions will now decide his fate. This is my first though. Plan A.

[Rynjin]

I've found DMs like to get a little too clever for their (and your) own good ehen it comes to Fey. Try to negotiate, but when they start asking for cryptic **** like "a blind eye that still sees" in exchange, kill 'em all and let the gods sort 'em out.

You'll save yourself a lot of frustration on both sides of the table, sidestepping the issue of the GM thinking his players are morons and you thinking the same about them.

[theNater]

If one of your party can convincingly fake medical expertise you might be able to get in to see him by telling the dryads a new ailment has recently begun afflicting mortals, and that you need to check the paladin for symptoms. He's not much good to them if he succumbs to the vaporizing flu, after all.

[Kaptin Keen]

Well, the obvious answer seems to be:

1: Kill the dryads
2: ...
3: Free the paladin

But that's propably not the solution you have in mind. Then I'd say the solution is just a skill check away. Diplomacy, Intimidate, Forgery, Perform: Song, whatever works to convince the dryads it's in everyone's best interest the paladin return to his duty of saving the world.

[Reathin]

Calling on the paladin's oath is a good first step, if you can get to him (the Dryads may have hidden him away without much trouble). If he doesn't respond to that, either they got lucky with the mind control (Paladins usually have good savings throws, yes) or he's abandoning his duties...in which case he may simply not BE a paladin any more.

But let's say you get through to him. Your second problem is convincing the dryads. As you mentioned, not evil, but not operating under human logic. Trying to bring yourself in line with their reasoning MIGHT help, but you run the risk of misinterpretation. Given that they're fundamentally decent beings on average, you might be able to stick with "he doesn't want to be here". They might be confused and sad at the lack of gratitude for hospitality, but that might do it. If they've convinced themselves they're in the right, you'll need other options.

Contests, riddles and the like are long-established fey-related tropes. Putting that in line with "it would make a good story" from the game's perspective, and you could definitely try that. Or you could try winning the assistance of another Fey entity (maybe even one of the Courts, if you're feeling brazen), since they can likely make a more convincing argument. True, you'd have to help them, but at least you wouldn't be starting from an opposing position.

I'd avoid violence save as a very last resort. It's cruel, likely to cause problems (including with the paladin, maybe!), and it makes for a more boring story on average.

[Segev]

I'm going to work backwards, here, as that's usually the best way for me to work out fey logic and how to manipulate it. You want the paladin back, for whatever reason. They want him as their noble, honorable husband/mate/protector/champion.

First off, let's examine our assumptions: it's stated that he may be, but isn't definitely, "hopelessly charmed" by his wives. I was, upon reading the title of this thread, going to half-jokingly ask, "Are you sure he WANTS to be 'saved?'" It's quite possible that they could charm him in a rather mundane way; not only are dryads said to be quite beautiful, but they did save his life, and there's an entire trope around men falling for the women who nurse them back to health, especially after a near-death battle experience.

I think even fey would agree that a willing lover/champion/husband who wants to stay with them even if magic were dispelled would be superior to a plaything that can be taken away by the whims of magic. That's not playing straight into fey logic, though; they may have difficulty comprehending that humans can love and be faithful without magic behind it, depending on their mythos. So it has to be framed carefully.

Fey tend to be proud, and also unable to understand that their pride does not shape reality. It can confuse them when their expectations don't cause reality to bend and shape to comply with them. So challenge them on their pride, and they will often assume they can win any challenge at all.

Stepping back again, let's examine the Paladin's situation. Let's say that he actually is happy with them, or would be even without magic. Is it not right to give him a chance to prove it or choose it? A knight winning the hearts of faerie princesses is not unheard-of, after all. So, then, you need two things: to protect the Paladin's agency, and to get whatever service the Paladin is needed for. (If it's just a rescue, then all you really need do is ensure he's allowed his freedom to come and go, if he truly wants to stay.)

So you need to propose a bet. Not a trade. You're betting the Paladin's life. Let me clarify: not his death, his life. Where he'll live and who will choose how he lives it. But just phrase it as "his life;" these are fey, so if you use fey logic to (re)define "life" after the fact, as long as you were consistent so all references to it apply to your definition, they'll have to accept it.

Here's the premise: They claim they own his life because they saved it. But you bring either the people who he sacrificed himself for, or at least a writ proving you're representatives thereof. See, he already had given his life to them when he stayed to fight. An act of supreme loyalty and devotion. Also, since he has but one life to give, when the dryads saved him, they couldn't claim his life in payment for it: it was no longer his to give. It belongs to the people he gave it to.

However, because these people are aware of the honor that being the mate to sufficiently-graceful dryads represents, they are willing to offer these dryads a chance to earn his life in truth. So the "real owners" of his life will bet his life to them. Of course, the paladin is a superior specimen (in fact, if you can bait the Dryads with a negotiation for a trade that you never QUITE say "I am offering you a trade" with, but just imply exists, you can get them to talk up how valuable he is), and so the dryads must bet something of commensurate value: the paladin's natural life in service, from each of them, or a single favor of equal value to be asked of each of them by the winner of the bet.

The bet is simple: prove that they're at least as worthy of his love and loyalty as those to whom he gave the life that they wish to win in the bet. To do this, of course, will require testing whether they can win his loyalty even without magic, because obviously, those who have the claim on his life managed to do so.

To achieve this, a series of quests are to be performed by the paladin, with the first quest being named by the people you represent (or you, yourselves, in their name), then a quest named by the dryads, and so on and so on, and whoever he performs better on behalf of, or whoever he chooses to return to afterwards, wins the bet. You can formalize the number of quests, etc., or even make the first 2-3 "set" quests rather than quests determined by only one side. I suggest one of them be "acquire an acorn of far travel to permit one or more of his dryad-brides to travel with him on future quests."

The goal here should be to encourage them to try to win his heart and loyalty with no magical coercion, and to let him go do whatever it is those seeking to rescue him want him to do. If it's only a rescue, then this becomes a way to achieve it almost immediately, with only the Paladin's own honor (which, we've established, is extensive) and/or desires to bring him back after the first trial/quest. He should be able to be freed of mind control and given enough buffs to resist it even if the dryads try to cheat. Which, ideally, their pride won't let them do. Let them try to win his heart legitimately, and come to a reasonable accommodation if they can.

The reason, by the by, for the "lifetime of service," is to let them think they're winning either way: it's a short life, compared to theirs, and it will give them proximity to their paladin (who will have gotten them means to come with him) even if his life doesn't belong to them.

And, if the paladin is entirely uninterested absent their magics, then maybe you can offer to help them find somebody who is. After all, "worthiness" should include a willing heart.

[Whyrocknodie]

Kidnap a dryad. Keep it where the other dryads can't get to it. Inform the other dryads it "wants to stay". Offer an exchange.

If failed, kidnap more dryads.

[NRSASD]

Let us know how this plays out please!